Ash Princess (The Deviant Future #6) - Eve Langlais Page 0,79
fight a volcano. So long as it’s spewing, the dragons are here to stay.”
“What if we could stop it?” Cam said.
“How?” Milo asked.
“Before the countess died, she said something about them using the volcano as a place to dump their toxic waste. Stop the transport of their garbage and maybe, just maybe, the volcano goes back to sleep,” Cam said.
“If that happens, the ash stops, and the cold might come back,” Milo mused aloud. “The fire dragons don’t like the cold.”
“Great idea, but how the fuck you going to stop Ruby from using us as a dump?” Gorri sputtered.
“In the famous words of my sister, Casey”—Cam smiled—“we’re gonna blow some shit up.”
Chapter 18
Nothing like telling everyone they’d be exploding the source of their strife.
Cam was a hero in their eyes. A shining savior and everyone wanted to help him. Be around him. But when the door to their room closed, he was hers and hers alone. Those precious days as they planned were the most perfect she could have ever imagined.
Until he abandoned her.
She awoke one morning to find Cam had disappeared and left her only a stupid note. A note she’d read through once and then destroyed in her anger and grief. How dare he leave when she needed him most.
I’m going to make things right for you and all of Diamond. Thank you for everything.
He dared to thank her! She should thank him for dragging her out of the apathy that plagued her. Should hit him for being so obtuse. Then shake him. Why did he have this stupid belief he had to sacrifice himself for her?
It wasn’t fair. Saving Diamond shouldn’t come at his expense.
She stomped from the room she’d briefly shared with Cam, unable to look at the bed and its rumpled sheets without seeing him there. A solid presence that she loved to snuggle.
Who knew being wrapped around someone would be so comforting?
Why did he have to go and be heroic?
Her friends eyed her warily as she stomped toward them. They were gathered in the warehouse on the first level.
“Did you know?” she snapped.
“Know what?” Lila replied.
Only one gaze refused to meet hers, and it wasn’t Gorri’s puzzled one.
“Do you have something you’d like to tell me, Milo?” Kayda crossed her arms, and the air around her turned frosty.
Milo shifted, uncomfortably. “Cam might have told me he was going to try and stop the volcano.”
“And you talked him out of it, obviously.” Kayda arched a brow.
“Er, no.” He ducked his head. “He has a solid plan. And he was determined.”
“He went on a suicide mission.” Stating it aloud left her cold to the bone.
“Why are you assuming he’s going to die? He’s not that incapable,” Lila observed.
Kayda glared.
“Don’t be pissy at me because your lover has a hero complex,” Lila snapped
“He thinks he’s expendable,” Kayda muttered.
“Like fuck, he is,” Gorri exclaimed. “He knows things about fighting I never imagined.”
“The guy is pretty handy.” A rare compliment from Lila.
“He’s been teaching me stuff, too,” Milo added.
It explained what he’d been doing when they weren’t together. Plotting with her friends. It brought a scowl. “I can’t believe you let him go. How long ago? Maybe I can catch up.”
“She’s in lu-u-r-v-e,” Gorri exaggerated and then gagged.
“He shouldn’t have gone alone.” Overland, with only a knapsack and some weapons. “Do you even know where he’s going?”
“Where else?” Milo said.
“The volcano.” Which was a few days by foot if she remembered the old long-range scout reports. Did she dare follow on foot? He might have too much of a head start for her to catch up to him.
“He’ll never make it.” Lila the pessimist almost got slapped.
Kayda chose to glare once more.
But it was Milo’s words that turned them thoughtful. “At least he’s doing something. We don’t have much time if we’re going to save anyone.”
A reminder that this new home would only be temporary. Ruby would send another ship with soldiers, and soon. They might not be able to fight the next group off.
“You can’t go after him.” Milo provided the voice of reason. “You know Ruby’s coming back. We’re going to need you if we escape.”
“Escape where?” she said, flinging her hands in the air. “On foot we’ll never get far enough. Not with the obstacles in our way.”
“If only we could fly.” Lila looked at the ceiling, where one very large transport still sat.
“Actually, we might be able to use the ship.” Milo’s statement had them all gaping. He squirmed under their scrutiny. “It’s not that